 | Category: | Books | | Genre: | Religion & Spirituality | | Author: | Sam Harris |
What surprised me most about this book is that it has something equally important to say to atheists, agnostics, christians, muslims, buddhists, hindus...just about everyone really. And that important thing is this: Religion and Faith should be held up to scrutiny, and should not be set apart as unquestionable.
Of course, most of us believe this anyway, and most of us are all too eager to hold up OTHER people's faith/religion to scrutiny. But we have a harder time holding our own up to such rigorous testing.
Much of this book examines the muslim faith, and shows how unquestioning adherence to it can lead to such tragic events as the September 11 terrorist attacks. Harris doesn't stop at the muslims, though. He goes on to show what can happen when unquestioning adherence to the christian faith can lead to it's own atrocities.
I think the thing I liked most about this book is that it doesn't require a reader to "convert" to atheism to appreciate it. While Harris himself is an avowed atheist, his points are well taken from any angle.
This is one of those books I think we should all read to help sharpen our minds and see the insanity inherent in extreme fundamentalism.   | Interesting...I can certainly see the usefulness--the necessity, really--of scrutinizing one's religion. And I agree that most people don't want to hold a microscope up to their own beliefs. But what troubles me is that you also say faith should be scrutinized. I'm not so sure. Because faith doesn't have to make sense. In fact, I think a valid definition of faith would be holding something to be true in spite of evidence to the contrary. |
| Thanks for the kind thought. And please understand that I didn't mean to criticize or even argue; just thinking 'out loud,' really. I guess what I was thinking about when I said "evidence to the contrary" was in a situation like creation v. evolution. There appears to be some evidence to support both (tho' I believe creationism, I have to concede that evolutionists do have some support for their argument). But your point is well taken. |
 | Hey, don't worry. I didn't take it as criticism at all, just conversation (and some good conversation at that).
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 | Ooops I reviewed the wrong book. |
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But what troubles me is that you also say faith should be scrutinized. I'm not so sure. Because faith doesn't have to make sense. In fact, I think a valid definition of faith would be holding something to be true in spite of evidence to the contrary. 